heronsewe

Middle English

Alternative forms

• heiron-sew, hernesew, heronseu, herounseu, heroun-sewe, herunsew, heyrounsew

Etymology

From Old French haironcel, diminutive of heiron.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /hɛrunˈsɛu̯/, /ˈhɛrunsɛu̯/, /ˈhɛr(ə)nsɛu̯/, /hɛi̯-/, /hɛː-/

Noun

heronsewe (plural heronsewes)

1. The young of the grey heron (Ardea cinerea)
   • 1387–1400, Geoffrey Chaucer, “The Squyers Tale”, in The Canterbury Tales, [Westminster: William Caxton, published 1478], →OCLC; republished in [William Thynne], editor, The Workes of Geffray Chaucer Newlye Printed, […], [London]: […] [Richard Grafton for] Iohn Reynes […], 1542, →OCLC:

     I wol nat tellen / of hir strange sewes / Ne of hir swannes / nor of hire heronsewes […].

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

2. The meat of a heron used as food.

Descendants

• English: heronsew, hernshaw
• Scots: heronshew, hernshaw

References

• “heironseu, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-07-06.